Battle of Leuthen

The Battle of Leuthen (5 December 1757) was a decisive battle of the Seven Years War, fought between the 33,000-strong Prussian army of King Frederick the Great and the 66,000-strong Austrian army of Charles Alexander of Lorraine. The Prussians deceived the Austrians by sending a great portion of their army to march around the Austrian flank, heading around the snowy hills, and the Austrians believed that the Prussians were retreating; the Austrians did have twice the number of men, so Prince Charles Alexander saw it as a reasonable maneuver. However, the Austrians were surprised when they were attacked on two sides by the Prussian army, and the Austrians were routed after a fierce battle. Leuthen was one of the decisive battles of the war, and it was a great example of King Frederick the Great's inspirational leadership and clever maneuvers. However, the war would drag on for six more years, and Frederick's skills would continue to be tested as he was faced with more improbable scenarios.